This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

So you want to make flash games? Well, this is a great starting place. If
you're completely new to game design, the whole idea can seem overwhelming.
You may have a great idea for a game, but building an actual game from it is
another whole storysetting up for multiple players, 3D motion, and so on.
Don't worrywe've all felt that way. And we're here, after
all, to demystify the process.

We'll proceed one step at a time. Before you jump in and start making
games, I'll introduce you to some general game-world concepts and
terminology.

In this chapter, to orient you for your trip into game design, we will
discuss the most common Flash game genres, their terminology, and Flash's
capabilities as a game-development environment.

Inspirational Kick-Start

Flash is an incredible authoring tool. With it you can create rich Web pages,
advanced applications, and, of course, games. As a Flash game developer, you can
create amusements as simple as tic-tac-toe or as complicated as a real-time
multiplayer game. Imagine what it would be like to think of an amazing game idea
(which you may have already done) and then sit down at your computer and
actually build it. With Flash, this process can be very easy, and you don't
need a degree in computer science to do it! You will learn how to tap into the
logic you already possess (common sense) and apply that with ActionScript (the
programming language used in Flash).

Pictured here are some of the games that you'll knowliterally
inside and outwhen you're done reading this book.

What kinds of games are possible in Flash? Take a look at some of the games
that are dissected and explained in detail in the third section of this book.
(The source files for these games are provided on the accompanying CD-ROM.) All
of the information and techniques needed to make games like these are covered in
this book. Soon you will be making your own!